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Published on: December 14, 2017

University Student Arrested in Sting for Soliciting Sex from Teen

An Orwell, Ohio man attending Youngstown State University was arrested as the result of an ongoing local police department sex sting. The man believed that an undercover officer was a 15-year-old boy, and he allegedly pursued a physical relationship with the teenage imposter through online communication.

On December 5, 22-year-old Albert Maruna, IV began interacting with a person with whom he located through an online dating application. He was under the impression that he was interacting with a teenage boy. Over the course of a week he engaged in online conversation which turned sexual in nature, including descriptive messages about specific explicit acts he would like to perform together, and nude photographs. He is also believed to have developed romantic feelings for the boy based on the content of his messages.

In actuality Maruna was corresponding with an undercover officer posing as the teen in an ongoing sex sting operation. According to the police report, when the officer first informed Maruna that he was 15, Maruna stated that he does not believe in age, and he was comfortable with the situation as long as the boy was as well.

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Published on: December 6, 2017

Woman Makes Murder Threats while Doubling as Ex-Boyfriend on Social Media

by Staycie R. Sena

A woman from Texas allegedly created accounts online in her ex boyfriend’s name and used them to issue murderous threats to herself and another woman, causing him to be thrown in jail several times.

In September, 22-year-old Lisa Marie Garcia purportedly began creating fake social media accounts on sites such as Facebook and Instagram using her ex-boyfriend’s name and information to create the profiles. She has been accused of using these accounts in order to issue death threats to herself and another woman with whom he has a child making it appear as if he was composing the threats himself.

Garcia used the content of the messages in an attempt to cause legal trouble for Brandon Berrott, and he was taken into custody when she reported the threats. After his release she continued using the social media accounts with Berrott’s name in order to construct more threats toward herself, and then contacting the police.

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Published on: November 15, 2017

Firefighter Arrested for Soliciting Detective Posing as 14-Year-Old in Online Sting

by Staycie R. Sena

A Florida firefighter working with Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department was arrested on Tuesday for exchanging online messages of a sexual nature with a person that he believed was a 14-year-old girl. In actuality, the man had been speaking with an undercover detective impersonating the teenager for over three months.

In an attempt to better protect children from online sexual predators St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office launched “Operation Cruel Summer.” This project involves detectives posing as youth and visiting internet chat sites to engage in conversations with people seeking sexual relations with children.

The detective who purportedly spoke with 53-year-old David Eugene Labelle, the accused, had responded to an ad found online on July 27. Under the heading “Naughty Daughter,” the ad Labelle is accused of posting said, “Hi, how are you doing today? I would like to talk to you and let’s see what we can come up with. I have been looking for my naughty little girl. I am a 53 year old white married man.”

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Published on: March 23, 2017

Carson Felon Charged with Pimping in Orange County While Out on Bail

by Staycie R. Sena

According to prosecutors, 29 year-old Rico Christopher Clayton, of Carson, had allegedly recruited a woman to participate in prostitution on February 8th. He allegedly advertised her sex services online. On that same day, officers on the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force had responded to an online ad and arranged a meeting with the woman.

Clayton was allegedly seen dropping the woman off at a Fullerton motel where the meeting had been arranged with the undercover officer. Clayton had also allegedly made calls and sent text messages to the woman indicating that he was pimping her. Clayton was out on bail for another pimping charge in Los Angeles at the time.

He was charged on Monday with one felony count of pimping and pandering. He is facing sentencing enhancements for committing the crime while out on bail in addition to a previous strike conviction for burglary in 2007. If found guilty, Clayton faces up to 15 years in prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

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